An Awkward Engagement
by SheeWolf85
Summary: In order to get his desired promotion at work, Jacob's boss asks for a personal favor: Take her daughter out for a night on the town. Oneshot, AU/AH, Jake/Ness. T for language and some mature situations.
1. An Awkward Engagement

Summary: In order to get his desired promotion at work, Jacob's boss asks for a personal favor: Take her daughter out for a night on the town. Oneshot, AU/AH, Jake/Ness.

A/N: Yes! Another o/s! I've been suffering from writer's block the last little while, so I dredged up enough creativity to search prompts and ended up using one from my own site. I hope you all enjoy. This is rated T for some language and mature situations.

Thank you to WolfGirl1335 and IndependenceIndividuality for pre-reading. Also, thank you to IndependenceIndividuality for the title.

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><p><span>An Awkward Engagement<span>

"E-excuse me?" I stammered. I don't stammer. Ever. But this woman just made me stumble. It wasn't hard for her to do, either. "You want me to what?"

I stared at my boss' boss' boss with wide eyes. Isabella Cullen. Known around the office as Queen Bee, but don't you even think about calling her anything but Mrs. Cullen or ma'am. You'll be fired on the spot if you do. Or, well, that's the rumor that floats around since no one is stupid or morbidly curious enough to find out for sure. The way Mrs. Cullen carried herself, her brown hair pulled back in the same rigid clip every day, her fiery brown eyes, and her impeccable suits all said there was at least a little truth to those rumors.

"Do you want the position or not?" she asked. She was staring at a paper on her desk as though I'd already bored her. Even though she was the one that called me in.

My direct boss, Karen, was being relocated. I was pretty sure that was a fancy word for fired. I was only one of at least twenty that had applied for her place. Who the hell knew getting it would require such strange things?

"Yes, I do want the job, but—"

Mrs. Cullen looked up at me then. I swallowed. "But what? If you want it, you'll do as I say."

I nodded. I wasn't used to being coerced like this. Jacob Black didn't get pushed into anything. There was a reason I'd held the number three spot in the whole sales department of Cullen Trading Company for three years. The only reason I wasn't any higher was because I actually had morals and a conscience. Even with Karen, I often felt I was the dominant one. Or at least that we were on equal ground. Mrs. Cullen was the exception.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen. When should I expect to pick up your daughter?" I was afraid to ask her for all the details. It sure sounded like an escort thing to me. Pick up her daughter and take her to the club. If she wants to go anywhere after that, take her. Then, after she'd had her fun—and from what it sounded like, she was aiming for a _lot_ of fun—take her home.

Mrs. Cullen smiled. It was the kind of smile that would be accompanied by the sound of a tiger's growl in the movies. "So you'll do it?"

I nodded again. "Yes, ma'am."

She ripped the paper she'd been studying out of a notebook and stood up to hand it to me. Even if she was a good two feet shorter than me, she was a hell of a lot scarier. "Very good. Pick her up at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow night at that address. Don't be late, Mr. Black. Your career depends on this."

She sat back down, checked her reflection in the little mirror beside her monitor, then she began typing something. It was clear that I was dismissed. Out of sheer confusion, I did something that resembled a bow and left the office. I didn't even look at the paper until I was back at my desk. I got a few questions about what the Queen Bee wanted. I wasn't sure how much of this was supposed to be made public, so I answered with a simple, "I'm not really sure." It wasn't far from the truth.

Later that night, I sat at my desk at home and reread the slip of paper for the millionth time. Renesmee Cullen; Friday, June fifteenth; nine o'clock; seventeen Masen Street. That was it. No further instructions and no phone number. I could only imagine what this girl was going to be like. I wasn't sure how old she was, but she had to be at least eighteen to get into the clubs. It made me nervous. People could get the wrong impression if they saw a thirty-year-old man hovering around a teenager. Mrs. Cullen wasn't exactly young, but I'd wager she wasn't old enough to have a daughter over twenty.

Her age wasn't the only thing that worried me. She was probably going to be like her mother. If I had to put up with a whiny teenaged brat who was used to always getting what she wanted, I'd probably kill myself before the night was over. Why did I agree to this again? Oh, right, because I'm a dumbass. Looking back, I was pretty sure the position of supervisor wasn't worth this.

I was also pretty sure there was no getting out of it unscathed after I'd already agreed. Mrs. Cullen didn't strike me as the kind of woman who would accept a change of mind. I'd likely lose my job entirely if I backed out now. It wouldn't be hard for her to find something to blame it on so she couldn't get in trouble for it.

I sighed deeply and dropped the paper onto the desk. I needed to get some rest if I had any chance of surviving the next night.

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><p>Nine o'clock sharp. I cleared my throat and got out of the car. I double-checked the address just to make sure this was the right place. I'd never been up this swanky side of town before. The house itself was a work of art. Really expensive, really big art. I jogged up the dozen or so steps and knocked on the pale blue door.<p>

Mrs. Cullen answered. She smiled that menacing smile and stepped back to let me in. "Hello, Mr. Black," she said in a semi-friendly tone.

I nodded. "Hello, Mrs. Cullen. Is, uh . . . Reness . . ." How the hell does she pronounce that name?

"_Ruh-nez-may_," she enunciated each syllable, "will be down shortly."

"Okay, great." I had figured I'd probably have to wait for the girl. The awkward silence between Mrs. Cullen and me was so dense I could literally see it. I wondered if she could, too.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked. She didn't seem uncomfortable.

I licked my lips. "No. No thank you." I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"You look nice." She sounded relieved; as if she wasn't sure I could look presentable outside of work.

I glanced down at myself quickly. I'd dressed in a blue button-up tucked into dark gray slacks just because I wasn't sure where I was supposed to take this girl or how she was going to be dressed. "Thank you."

Just then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I took a breath and looked up to see possibly the most beautiful woman in the world descending toward me. She didn't look like a teenager. She was grown and sexy as hell. Long legs, pale skin, red hair that had been done up in a bun with some loose tendrils hanging around her face, and a tight, sparkling blue dress that ended at the top of her thighs. Her shoes were a mile high and matched the dress. When she got closer to the bottom of the steps, I automatically held my hand out to support her. She blushed when she took it and mumbled something that sounded like a thank you. She was short like her mother. Even with her heels, her head didn't come above my shoulders. The dress she had on wasn't strapless, but it might as well have been. What it did have was little more than strings that crossed over her back. The back of the dress descended just under her shoulder blades.

Mrs. Cullen cleared her throat and gave her daughter a stern look. Renesmee stood up straight and looked me in the eyes. Hers were the same color as her mother's, but somehow they looked so right on her. They were surrounded by a round face with high cheekbones, not too much makeup, and the cutest button nose.

"Thank you, Mr. Black," she said in a firm voice. She took her hand from mine.

I blinked a few times to remind myself why I was here to begin with. "You're welcome, Ms. Cullen. Are you ready to go?"

Something flashed in her eyes. It looked like insecurity. It vanished quickly, and she nodded. "Yes, I am." She turned to her mother. "I probably won't be back until tomorrow."

That didn't sound good. I had to remember who this girl was and that she could literally make my life a living hell if I screwed up even the tiniest of details.

Mrs. Cullen smiled. "You just have fun, Renesmee."

They didn't move to hug each other or even say goodbye. Renesmee nodded and headed for the door. I hurried to open it for her. Once it shut behind us, she grabbed my hand hard and held on for the walk down the cement steps. I helped her into the car, took a deep breath, and got into the driver's seat.

"Where to, Ms. Cullen?" I asked.

She sighed. "Anywhere. It doesn't matter."

I gave her an odd look. "What?"

"Please, just go. I'll explain when we're out of her sight."

I nodded and put the car in drive. I wasn't sure where to go, so parked in front of a twenty-four-hour grocery store. "Is this okay?"

"Yes, this is fine. I'm so sorry, Mr. Black. This whole thing is my fault." She reached up like she was going to run her fingers through her hair, but stopped short when she remembered the bun. She took a deep breath and relaxed against the seat. "My mother thinks I don't get out enough. Apparently I'm weird because I'd rather stay in and study than spend a night mingling with people. We argued about it, and I finally yelled at her that I don't even know anyone to hang out with anyway. She offered to find someone, and here you are." She gestured across the car at me. "I'm sorry."

I leaned forward, trying to catch her eyes. She looked at me, and I smiled. "It's okay. Really. I'll admit this wasn't the first thing on my list of things I'd want to do on a Friday night. But now that you're here, it's really not that bad. How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. I guess my mom expected me to follow in her footsteps and go out to get drunk on my birthday. I didn't. I've not gotten drunk once in all the eight months I've been legally able."

I smirked. "Maybe tonight would be a good night for it then?" I suggested. "I'm not saying go to a fancy club where you have to be with people. That's not really my thing either. But I do have a pretty good stash of liquor at my house."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "You're inviting me over to your house to get me drunk?"

I winced. It did sound pretty bad. "Not like that," I promised. "It might do you some good to let loose and forget your mother and her pressure, though. Just for a night. I promise I'm not a creep, and I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you." This wasn't going well. I could tell already. I swallowed. "If you're not comfortable, we can just go to the mall or something."

She snorted and laughed. I liked the sound of it. It was soft but real at the same time. "The mall would only do for an hour or so, Mr. Black."

"Call me Jacob. Or Jake."

She blushed. "Only if you never call me Renesmee or Ms. Cullen."

"What do you want me to call you then?"

She shrugged. "I don't care."

"Ness?"

"Okay. Don't you have a wife or a girlfriend that would be upset if you brought me home?"

I shook my head. "No. I was married once, but it didn't last long. I've been divorced almost five years."

"Do you have any kids?"

"Nope."

"All right. Take me home and get me drunk, Jake." She smiled again.

On the way to my house, she took her shoes off and complained about how they hurt her feet and were hard to walk in. I couldn't blame her.

"You won't tell your mother we did this, will you?" I asked.

"Did what? Oh, you mean went to the club, got totally hammered and hit on by a million guys, talked to some people, forgot all of their names, and ended up crashing at a local hotel? Yes, I will tell her all about it."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Thank you for not being like my mother."

I looked over at her and saw her blush. I couldn't help but laugh. "You, too."

I pulled in to my driveway and parked the car. Ness didn't want to put her shoes back on, so she clung to my arm as she walked up the stone path to the door. Once we were in, she relaxed and set her shoes beside the table I put my keys on. She pulled her hair free of the bun and let it cascade down her back as she finger-combed it. I stood staring in awe at how the tresses reached her hips and swayed gently back and forth. She pulled it up and into a sort of half-pony tail. It sat on her head like a bob and looked much cuter than the tight bun had.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

I sucked in a breath and blinked. "Um, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. So don't take this the wrong way, Ness, but why are you still living with your mom?"

She shrugged and walked up to me. "It's easier that way while I'm in college. I'm studying to go into medicine like my father and grandfather. I want to help people, y'know?"

This girl was more intriguing as time passed. "Good luck with your studies, then. I'm sure you'll do great."

She looked down and blushed. "Thank you. So where's this alcohol?"

"Have you had liquor before?"

She smiled coyly and nodded. "Yeah, I've had some stuff. I've never really been drunk, though. I'm kind of excited about this."

I gestured for her to follow me to the kitchen. She looked around as we passed through the living room. I showed her the various kinds of alcohol I had and let her choose three bottles. She picked Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi, and Jack Daniels after I told her about each one. She tried a shot of each and decided she liked the Bacardi best. I stuck with Jack Daniels.

We went back to the living room and sat on the couch to drink. I set two shot glasses on the coffee table and turned on the television. "Do you like _The Goonies_?" She nodded, but looked confused. "We're going to play a drinking game," I told her.

Her eyebrow rose higher. "What is it?"

"It's really simple," I explained as I got the movie ready. "Just take a drink anytime Mikey uses his inhaler, Chunk does something clumsy, or Data uses an invention. Also, anytime you hear something from the '80's."

She smiled. "This sounds fun. I'm going to get plastered, aren't I?"

I chuckled as I sat next to her and filled both of our shot glasses. "That's the goal."

Ness was trashed before the movie was half over. By the time the credits rolled, I doubt she even remembered her own name. I was feeling a good buzz, but I knew how to handle my liquor.

She leaned against my shoulder and looked at me with bright, bloodshot eyes. "Did I tell you that you're handsome?" she slurred.

I snorted. "No."

"Well, you are. Mom says she thinks you're a hunk."

That was more information than I needed to know. "Be sure to thank her for me. Are you tired?" She looked like she could pass out at any moment. I probably should have been smarter about this whole thing. Of course, her hangover in the morning would make her story about the club pretty convincing. I just hoped she remembered it.

She shook her head then closed her eyes and grabbed my arm like she was trying to steady herself. "No, not tired. Jake, will you kiss me?"

Not good. "Um, Ness . . . I think it's time we call it a night."

She'd already started to crawl into my lap. Less of a crawl. More of an ooze. She had a hard time holding herself up and coordinating her movements, but she did it. And I let her. It wasn't easy ignoring the way her very short dress seemed to ride up even further. She sat sideways on my lap and her little hands grabbed the collar of my shirt. She didn't say anything else; she just leaned in and pressed her pretty pink lips against mine.

I wanted to kiss her. I'd wanted to kiss her, among other things, since the moment I saw her on the steps. But I couldn't because she was drunk, and that just wasn't right. Who knew what the hell she'd want if she were sober. She might smack me right now if it weren't for the alcohol. I pushed her back.

"Ness, stop. Stop right now. I can't kiss you. Nothing can happen, okay?"

She sat back and nearly fell off my lap. I caught her and held her steady. "Why not?" she whined.

I sighed. "Because you're very drunk."

She sniffled. "No, it's because of my mother, isn't it? I'm not like her, so you're not interested." She slammed her fist down on my shoulder. It hurt a little. "Dammit, why do I always have to live in her shadow? She's the pretty, perfect, Isabella Fucking Cullen, and I'm the mousy daughter who has to pretend to be what I'm not just to get a single person to turn their head. I don't want to be like her! I want to be me!" She collapsed on my shoulder, sobbing.

I rubbed her back. "Calm down, Ness. It's okay."

"It's not okay." Her voice was muffled. "It's not okay, because no matter how hard I try I'll never live up to what she wants me to be. I'll never get noticed by guys like you because I'm not good enough."

I kissed the side of her head. "You already got my attention, Ness. You had it when you walked down those steps. You're beautiful, sweetheart. Really beautiful." I wondered how much of this she'd remember.

Her crying had stopped for the most part. She turned her body slowly to settle herself against me more, her face in my neck. "Really?"

I leaned back to look at her. She met my eyes. "Yes. But I won't touch you, and I won't kiss you. Not when you're drunk."

She sniffled again. "What if I wasn't?"

"Then that would be a different story. Until then, you need to get some rest."

She nodded and nuzzled her face against my shoulder. "It really isn't because of my mom?"

I smiled and kissed her head again. "It really isn't. She's . . . not a person I think I could find myself romantically attracted to. I mean, she is my boss and all."

"That's good. Thank you, Jake. For everything." Her words were becoming more and more unrecognizable.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

She was passed out within ten minutes. I got up with her and laid her down the couch, then I covered her with a blanket. I told myself it was so she didn't get cold, but in reality it was so I wouldn't be so damn tempted to touch her. I set out a glass of water with some Tylenol on the coffee table, put everything else away, and went to bed.

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><p>I was packing up my stuff to leave the office on Monday when Brandy, Mrs. Cullen's assistant, appeared at my desk.<p>

"Mrs. Cullen wants to see you right away," she said urgently.

I raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I'll be right there."

Brandy scurried off, and I finished what I needed to do before I left. Mrs. Cullen was not alone in her office. A tall man with scruffy blond hair stood behind her chair with his hands folded in front of him. He wasn't taller than me, and he was thin, but it was the expression on his face that reminded me of a hit man. I closed the door and cleared my throat.

"You wanted to see me?" I ventured.

She gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Have a seat." I did. "Would you care to tell me what you and my daughter did on Friday night?"

I cleared my throat and told her the rehearsed story Ness and I had agreed on. I just prayed she had delivered the same lines. I knew I was in trouble when Mrs. Cullen shook her head. Had Ness betrayed me?

"I want to hear the truth from you, Mr. Black."

She had. My stomach curled as I told her about taking Ness back to my place. How could she do that to me? Didn't she know this job was my livelihood? Her mother had the power to not only fire me but make damn sure I wouldn't get hired in any other sales position in several companies.

Mrs. Cullen sucked in a deep breath like she was contemplating just how to hand me my ass. I wondered if the hit man was here to do that for her. I looked him over and wondered if it would be possible to overpower him. Physically, I was bigger, but I didn't know how strong the guy was.

"Renesmee gave me the same story about the club," she finally said.

"I'm sorry, what?" She hadn't betrayed me. I suddenly felt a whole lot better.

"Did you really think I would let you take my daughter without keeping an eye on her? I trust you, Mr. Black, but in this day and age, a mother can't be too careful." She gestured with her left hand to the man behind her. "This is my brother-in-law, Mr. Jasper Cullen. He was the one that arranged all of the surveillance that night, and I know everything that happened between you and Renesmee."

I'd heard about Jasper. He was the one that came up with all of the technology we traded and sold. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that what Mrs. Cullen said was true.

"May I ask why you wanted me to say it then?"

Mrs. Cullen smiled. "Because I wanted to know if you were trustworthy enough to tell me or if you'd continue to lie to me like Renesmee did."

I didn't really like the idea that I'd been tested like that. My work and my personal life didn't coexist. "Okay."

"You can begin backing up your desk tomorrow morning."

My jaw fell slack. "But I was supposed to do what she wanted; how was I going to do that when she didn't want to do anything?"

Her brow furrowed. "I'm not firing you, Mr. Black. You can pack your things to move into Karen's office. I want you set up by tomorrow afternoon."

I could breathe again. "Oh. I see. Thank you, Mrs. Cullen." I turned to the door.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Black, this is for you." I turned back to see her holding out a piece of paper. "It's from Renesmee. She asked that I give it to you today."

I nodded and held it close to my chest. "Thank you again."

When I got out to my car, I opened the paper. It was a note.

_Jake—_

_Thank you for the most wonderful night. I'm sorry for what I did. How uncomfortable you must have been! It wasn't all the alcohol talking. I need you to know that. I might have been the reason my mother chose you. I asked her to. I honestly didn't believe she'd go through with it, though. I hope you can forgive me. I also hope that you'll call me._

_Love, Ness_

Her phone number was listed at the bottom. For a moment, I wondered how in the world Ness would have ever seen me. Then I realized it didn't matter, because I really didn't care. I started the car and got home as quickly as I could to call Ness and hopefully make a date.

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><p>I held Ness' hand in mine as we walked along the small, brick bridge that crossed the stream. After dinner, we had come to the wooded park to be alone. Being after eight at night, it wasn't hard to do. Nobody else was around.<p>

"Thank you for a wonderful night," she said softly.

I pulled her a little closer to me. "I didn't think it was over yet."

She smiled up at me. "It's not. But thank you anyway."

I leaned down to kiss her head. In her sandals, she was much shorter than she had been with the monstrous heels. I didn't mind it; it was easy enough to pull her in her for a quick hug.

"So me being nine years older than you really doesn't bother you?" I asked.

"Does me being nine years younger bother you?"

"No, it doesn't."

She smiled again. "That's good. It doesn't me either."

"What about me being divorced?"

"I'd much rather have you divorced than still married."

"Yeah, I agree. Does any of it bother your mother?" I wasn't sure why I even asked.

She laughed. "If it did, you'd hear about it. But no; she really likes you, Jake. No matter what she might say or how she acts at work, she thinks you're reliable, ethical, and an all-around good man. She doesn't say stuff like that about everyone. You have to deserve it."

I had to admit that made me feel good. We turned around and began making our way lazily back across the bridge. "What should we do after this?"

"We should go back to your place," she said with a little nod.

"Ness—"

She stepped in front of me and held one hand up. "Jake, it's okay. Really. I just want to spend some more time with you and get to know you. You're probably totally baffled as to why I picked you out. It's because you're funny, you're charming, you're handsome . . . the list goes on. I've seen you, but only at those company meetings my mother drags me to. I want to get to know the you that isn't at work."

I smiled and took her hand again. "I think that sounds perfect."

She relaxed and let me lead her to the car.

Ness and I saw each other at least once a week after that. My schedule got a lot more packed after taking on the supervisor position, but I wasn't complaining. The pay was better, too. And, although I wouldn't breathe a word of it to any soul, I thought Mrs. Cullen was a tad bit nicer to me.

"Do you remember our first night together?" Ness asked after our third real date. We went back to my place like usual and lounged together on the couch while we talked.

"Yeah."

She licked her lips and sat up on her knees beside me. "Do you remember what you said about if I wasn't drunk?"

We'd kissed a few times, but it hadn't ever exceeded a light peck here and there. "Yes, I do."

Her hands went to my shoulders as she slid herself sideways onto my lap. "Well, I'm not drunk, Jake. Will you kiss me?"

I nodded without a word and pulled her close to kiss her deeply.

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><p>AN: Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	2. Ness' POV

A/N: As the title says, this is Ness' point of view of the oneshot. Thanks to WolfGirl1335 for pre-reading!

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><p><span>An Awkward Engagement – Ness' POV<span>

Jacob Black. Tall, strong, handsome, funny, charming, really good-looking, bold, charismatic . . . Did I mention handsome?

I sighed happily to myself as I watched through the window as my mother conducted another of her department meetings. Jacob sat at the table like everyone else, but it wasn't hard to pick him out. He was the tallest in the group, even sitting down. His hair was jet black and styled in a professional but not too serious way. It was brushed forward and gelled into something like spikes. His skin was tanned, but it didn't look fake like some of the other people there. It looked natural, like his skin was just that dark on its own. His eyes were dark and piercing. Even just watching him, I could tell every bit of his attention was on business.

My eyes wandered down to his shoulders. They were broad and sexy. His arms were long. Even in his dress shirt, I could tell he wasn't the kind to sit around too much. Either he worked out a lot, or he had the most amazing genes ever. I stared at his hands for a moment. His long fingers played with a pen he had on a pad of paper, twisting it around absentmindedly while he listened to my mother drone on about some new gadget my uncle had come up with.

I had first seen Jacob almost a year ago when my mother dragged me to my first meeting. I'd been so terrified of being in the room with all those personality-strong sales people. Luckily for me, she had me stay outside the room and just watch how she conducted her business. We'd gotten there early to set up, and I helped her a little bit. After people started to show up, I dashed out of the room and planted myself in front of the window.

He had been one of the last to arrive, but he certainly wasn't late. He bumped my chair and touched my shoulder as he apologized, then went inside. It was that moment that I developed the biggest crush I'd ever had or likely would ever have. And lucky for me, that meeting was one my mother gave him an award for some sales accomplishment he'd made. She said his name, he stood up and took the plaque, and I got a really, really good look at him.

And from that moment on, I practically begged to go to every one of those meetings just for a chance to see him again. I'd told myself over and over again that one of these days I was going to work up the gumption to talk to him. Shake his hand and tell him my name. At least get him to acknowledge me. It never worked, though, because I was always too shy or too scared or too intimidated.

Mom knew something was up when I actually asked if I could go to a meeting with her. I'd fought it and fought it for so long, and I knew she wasn't fool enough to think it was the meeting itself I'd enjoyed. I told her, reluctantly and with a great many worries about how she'd take the news, that I'd developed a crush. Instead of refusing to allow me to go, she actually told me really good things about Jacob. Things I'd only rarely heard her say about anyone unless she really looked up to them. My grandfather Carlisle, for example. He was one of the greatest surgeons in the world and demanded respect for the things he'd done. My father was quickly earning his own way in the world of medicine. My uncle Jasper could take a toothpick and slice of gum and turn it into a computer. These were people who my mom thought deserved respect. It made me immeasurably happy to hear that she thought Jacob Black did as well.

I had to admit my mother was more patient than I'd expected her to be. She wanted me to break out of my shell and approach Jacob on my own. Like I'd ever actually do that. I tried to. Once I even got close. But as I watched his back in the small break room of the office where the meeting was held, I chickened out. What in the world would a thirty-year-old God want with an inexperienced brat like me?

So here I sat, watching and admiring from afar. It was the best I'd ever get, and I knew it.

After the meeting, Mom and I went to get some lunch. She was oddly quiet for a while. After a meeting, she would usually chat for a bit about what she thought went well, what could be improved on in the next one, and who she thought wasn't paying attention. This time, though, she just sat and stared at me. It made me uncomfortable.

"Do you know what you need?" she asked suddenly.

I swallowed. This question was usually followed by some outrageous plan that I had pretty much no hope of escaping. It had once been a makeover from my Aunt Alice. Once a completely new wardrobe. There was also the meetings, which actually hadn't turned out so bad considering who I got to see.

"No, Mom. What do I need?"

She smiled. I hated that smile. It was the one that guaranteed I wasn't going to like what she was about to say. "You need a really good night on the town. Loosen up those inhibitions and let go for a while."

Yep. Not a good idea for me. "No thanks; that's not really my thing."

"No, honey, I'm serious. You're never going to be able to approach him if you don't get some self-confidence and go for it. You're beautiful, Renesmee. You just need to see it."

I blushed. Not a day went by that my mother didn't call me beautiful or striking or sexy. If I was being honest with myself, if made me feel really good to have that extra boost. But all in all, I just didn't see it. I was a pale redhead with freckles. I didn't have my mom's fiery eyes or strong persona. I didn't have my dad's confidence or steady hands. I was just me, and just me was boring.

"I don't want to."

She waved her hand. "Bah. Yes, you do. What about your friends from college? They'd take you along, I'm sure. Why don't you call Michael and see if you can go next time?"

Because _Michael_ was not _Jacob_. I didn't want to spend any time with Michael and his short, blond, totally unimpressive self that would probably take it in a completely wrong way if I did ask. I wanted to spend time with Jacob. I couldn't help a love struck sigh as I compared the two. There really wasn't a comparison.

"I don't want to go anywhere with Michael or anyone else. I don't think I know them well enough."

"All right, let me ask you this then. Who would you go out with? I'm not talking like a date; I'm just saying if you could pick any person to go out on the town with, who would it be?"

I was pretty sure she already knew the answer to that. Before I could tell myself to shut up, his name rolled right out of my mouth. "Jacob Black, from your office." Commence repeatedly smacking my head on the table now.

The smile that spread across my mother's lips should have been a warning. She nodded like it wasn't surprising, because it really wasn't. "Okay then."

What? What did that mean? I was too afraid to ask. She didn't bring the subject up again, so I let it drop.

Everything was fine again for a few weeks. The idea of going out anywhere with anyone seemed to have dropped from Mom's mind. I should have known better. Wednesday three weeks later, she came to me with a new dress in one of those covered hangers. I couldn't see what horrible thing was in it. There was no doubt in my mind that it was going to be short and extremely low-cut.

"Wear this Friday night," she told me. "The shoes will be here tomorrow. Alice will help you with your hair and your makeup."

I shook my head. "No, she won't. She can help with my hair, but she's not clowning me up. I can do my own makeup."

Mom stopped for a moment and nodded. "All right. Just your hair."

I licked my lips and shifted my weight. "What's happening on Friday?" Did I really want to know?

She grinned. "You're going out with Jacob Black."

My stomach jumped so high it knocked the wind out of me. "What?" I hollered. "No! Mom, you can't make him do that. Please?" Oh, God, what if he hated me? What if I made a total fool of myself? I'd never be able to go to another meeting or see his gorgeous face again.

Mom patted my arm. "Calm down, honey. He will know that it isn't anything romantic. He'll just take you out for a nice night; maybe go to some clubs or whatever you want to do."

"What do you mean he _will_ know? You haven't told him yet?" This was bad.

"No, not yet. I'll talk to him about it tomorrow."

"What if he doesn't want to?"

She smiled again. Damn that smile. "He will."

* * *

><p>I stared at my reflection in the mirror with two totally different reactions. On one hand, I was way past freaking out. There was just no possible way I was going to survive this night. Period. I was a dead woman. On the other hand, the glittering, stunning, magnificent woman staring back at me was sure to knock anything with a heartbeat flat on its ass.<p>

It wasn't the first time I'd been able to admit I looked beautiful. But every one of the handful of occasions had one thing in common: I never looked like me. The dress, the shoes, the hair . . . all of it was something my mother would do. Renesmee Cullen wouldn't wear a skin-tight, sparkling dress outside. She'd wear a responsible skirt and maybe a tank top. She wouldn't wear heels designed by whoever created stilts. She'd wear sandals.

I heard him arrive. I heard him and my mother talking. His voice made my churning stomach start doing back flips. Aunt Alice hugged me lightly and kissed my cheek. I managed to wave a little and stepped out of the room. As I started my descent down the stairs, I realized how nervous he looked. But my God, he was handsome in his blue shirt and gray pants. His hair was done in its usual style. I wondered if he actually gelled it or if it did that naturally. I wouldn't be surprised if it was natural. Everything about him was just fundamentally perfect.

His demeanor changed when he looked up at me. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack. Yeah, I was a vision. I just wished he'd look at me like that when I was me and not pretending to be my mother. He held his hand out for me, and I couldn't help but take it. It was soft but hard at the same time, and so warm. I mumbled a thank you. I wished I could be brazen and push myself against him. Maybe if I accidentally tripped, he'd catch me. Before I could figure out how to do it, my mother cleared her throat.

Oh, right. I have to be strong. I stood up straight and looked up into his wonderfully dark, hypnotizing eyes.

"Thank you, Mr. Black," I said in what I hoped was a strong voice. I reluctantly took my hand back.

He blinked. "You're welcome, Ms. Cullen. Are you ready to go?"

Go where? Oh, I hoped I didn't make a mess of all of this. What kinds of places was he thinking he'd take me? Certainly not anywhere tame like a normal restaurant. Well, there was no backing out of this. I had to just go on and pray I didn't mess everything up too quickly. I nodded. "Yes, I am." I turned to Mom. She looked pleased. "I probably won't be back until tomorrow." If I ever get back at all. I might just decide to crawl into a hole somewhere and never reemerge.

Mom smiled. "You just have fun, Renesmee."

Fun. Sure. Not knowing what else to do, I just walked to the door. Jacob opened it quickly and offered his hand again once we were outside. I took it gratefully and held on tightly as we walked down the steps. It would be just my luck to break my neck or my ankle before the night actually started. He opened the car door for me, and as I watched him walk around to his side, I decided I just couldn't do this. Whatever he might think of me, I couldn't put myself out there like that. I was too afraid, and I was pretty sure he didn't want to have to babysit me tonight anyway.

"Where to, Ms. Cullen?" he asked when he got in.

Here we go. "Anywhere. It doesn't matter."

I saw him raise an eyebrow out of the corner of my eye. "What?"

"Please, just go. I'll explain when we're out of her sight."

He nodded and drove off. Luckily, he stopped in front of a grocery store. This was normal. "Is this okay?"

"Yes, this is fine. I'm so sorry, Mr. Black." I took a deep breath. "My mother thinks I don't get out enough. Apparently I'm weird because I'd rather stay in and study than spend a night mingling with people. We argued about it, and finally I yelled at her that I don't even know anyone to hand out with anyway. She offered to find someone, and here you are." So it wasn't the whole truth, but I really didn't want him to know just how much my fault this was. "I'm sorry."

He leaned forward, and I looked over at him. He smiled. It made my stomach flip in a good way. "It's okay. Really. I'll admit this isn't the first thing on my list of things I'd want to do on a Friday night." I was pretty sure that was an understatement. He had to have a million things he'd rather do. "But now that you're here, it's really not that bad. How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. I guess my mom expected me to follow in her footsteps and go out to get drunk on my birthday. I didn't. I've not gotten drunk once in all the eight months I've been legally able."

He smirked. It was gorgeous. "Maybe tonight would be a good night for it then? I'm not saying go to a fancy club where you have to be with people. That's not really my thing either. But I do have a pretty good stash of liquor at my house."

I raise an eyebrow. "You're inviting me over to your house to get me drunk?" On one hand, I was all for it. On the other, I didn't really know him that well. Sure my mom thought he was great, but everybody had a hidden dark side. What if his was getting girls drunk and hurting them? I just couldn't see it, though. Something in his eyes made me want to trust him.

He winced. "Not like that. It might do you some good to let loose and forget your mother and her pressure, though. Just for a night. I promise I'm not a creep, and I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you." He paused and swallowed. I absolutely couldn't deny how damn sexy he was when he was flustered like this. A deep, deep part of me said it wouldn't mind being taken advantage of by Jacob. "If you're not comfortable, we can go to the mall or something."

I snorted just because of the thrill. I made Jacob nervous. Me. It felt great, but I didn't want it to continue. I wanted us both to be comfortable. "The mall would only do for an hour or so, Mr. Black."

"Call me Jacob. Or Jake."

My stomach twirled. Could I really? "Only if you never call me Renesmee or Ms. Cullen."

"What do you want me to call you then?"

I shrugged. Beautiful? Sexy? Love of his life? "I don't care."

"Ness?"

What? Oh, well. I guess it was too much to hope for that he'd already fallen in love with me. "Okay. Don't you have a wife or a girlfriend that would be upset if you brought me home?"

He shook his head, and I was surprised by the rush of relief that washed over me. "No. I was married once, but it didn't last long. I've been divorced almost five years."

What kind of stupid woman would let him go? "Do you have any kids?"

"Nope."

I wondered briefly why that made me so happy. It didn't really matter. "All right. Take me home and get me drunk, Jake." I smiled. Maybe this whole outing thing would turn out better than I'd expected.

He nodded and started the car again. The silence that arose around us was a little uncomfortable. I wasn't sure what to say, what to do. Just to have something to focus on that wasn't my still-growing admiration of him, I leaned forward and took my shoes off. Oh, how good my feet felt when I pulled them out of those torture devices. I might have made a few comments about it, but he didn't say anything back.

"You won't tell your mother we did this, will you?" he asked after I'd finished moaning over my feet.

I couldn't help but smirk. "Did what? Oh, you mean went to the club, got totally hammered and hit on by a million guys, talked to some people, forgot all of their names, and ended up crashing at a local hotel? Yes, I will tell her all about it."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"Thank you for not being like my mother." And for being a total sweetheart in addition to every other perfect quality you possess.

He laughed. "You, too."

He finally parked the car in front of a cute white and gray house. I refused to put my shoes back on, and I was rewarded with Jake's arm to cling to as I avoided pebbles and other sharp things on the stone path up to his door. I put my shoes next to a little table where he put his keys. I figured if I was going to relax, I should do it properly. I took the pins and elastic band out of my hair, shook it out, and pulled it back up in my usual lounging style. When I looked up at Jake again, he was staring at something.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

He sucked in a quick breath and blinked a few times. "Um, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. So don't take this the wrong way, Ness, but why are you still living with your mom?"

I shrugged and took a few steps closer to him. Would I ever get over how incredibly thrilling it was to be so close and actually have his attention? I suddenly wished this night would never end. "It's easer that way while I'm in college," I answered. "I'm studying to go into medicine like my father and grandfather. I want to help people, y'know?" How boring did _I_ sound? My father had the ability to make medicine sound like the most fascinating subject in the world.

"Good luck with your studies then. I'm sure you'll do great."

His confidence in me, even though I was pretty sure it was fake, felt good. "Thank you. So where's this alcohol?"

"Have you had liquor before?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I've had some stuff. I've never really been drunk, though. I'm kind of excited about this." About being with him was more like it.

He gestured for me to follow him, so I did. I looked around the living room and kitchen. He had a nice place with plush carpeting, a dark blue couch, a big screen TV, and what looked like all brand new appliances. He showed me the different kinds of liquor he had. He wasn't joking when he said he had a good stash. I picked out three and tested them before I settled on the rum. When we went back to the living room, he set things down on the coffee table and turned on the television.

"Do you like _The Goonies_?" he asked. I nodded. "We're going to play a drinking game."

Weren't drinking games for frat houses? "What is it?"

"It's really simple. Just take a drink anytime Mikey uses his inhaler, Chunk does something clumsy, or Data uses an invention. Also, anytime you hear something from the '80's."

I smiled. "That sounds fun. I'm going to get plastered, aren't I?"

He laughed as he sat next to me and filled our glasses. I could live forever if I could just hear the sound of his laughter every day. "That's the goal." He winked at me, and we got started.

Jake caught most of the things we needed to drink to. I gave up searching and just took a drink whenever he did. My whole body was warm and so damn relaxed. I didn't even realize when the movie ended. One moment the characters were screaming and laughing and doing whatever they did, then the screen went blank. I was so calm. But I wasn't. Jacob still sat beside me in all of his extraordinarily amazing glory. I leaned against his shoulder after he turned the TV off. When I looked up at him, I wondered for the first time if I'd ever told him how gorgeous he was.

"Did I tell you that you're handsome?" I heard myself say.

He snorted. "No."

"Well, you are. Mom says she thinks you're a hunk." Did she? Now that I'd said it, I couldn't remember a time she'd actually mentioned that. It didn't matter, though, because I decided everyone ought to think he's amazingly good-looking.

"Be sure to thank her for me. Are you tired?"

Tired? What was tired? I shook my head, and the room spun. I grabbed Jake and closed my eyes to make it stop. "No, not tired. Jake, will you kiss me?" What? Oh, what the hell? It wasn't like there was any real reason to hide from it anymore.

"Um, Ness . . . I think it's time we call it a night."

I tried to get into his lap. It looked so comfortable and inviting. Getting there was a challenge, but somehow I did it. I took hold of his shirt, and I finally got what I wanted. I wished my head wasn't so cloudy and that my ears would stop ringing. I really wanted to feel and taste him without this horrible haze all around me.

But then he pushed me back. "Ness, stop. Stop right now. I can't kiss you. Nothing can happen, okay?"

But . . . That wasn't fair! I was in love with him; he was supposed to love me back! "Why not?"

He sighed. "Because you're very drunk."

Who was he trying to fool? "No, it's because of my mother, isn't it? I'm not like her, so you're not interested." I balled my fast and brought it down on his shoulder as hard as I could. Why did I do this? Why did I let myself get talked into this when I knew all along Jacob didn't want me? "Dammit, why do I always have to live in her shadow? She's the pretty, perfect, Isabella Fucking Cullen, and I'm the mousy daughter who has to pretend to be what I'm not just to get a single person to turn their head." Never mind the fact that his head was the only one I wanted to turn. "I don't want to be like her! I want to be me!" And I wanted him to want me! I fell forward into his embrace and ignored everything as the tragedy of the whole situation consumed me. It was all so unfair.

"Calm down, Ness. It's okay."

"It's not okay," I mumbled. "It's not okay, because no matter how hard I try I'll never live up to what she wants me to be. I'll never get noticed by guys like you because I'm not good enough."

He kissed my head, and I couldn't even deny how good it felt. All the way to my bones. "You already got my attention, Ness. You had it when you walked down those steps. You're beautiful, sweetheart. Really beautiful."

I managed to turn a little and press myself closer to him. I could live the rest of my life right here in his arms, hearing his low, soft voice calling me beautiful. "Really?"

He leaned back a little, and I looked up at him. "Yes. But I won't touch you, and I won't kiss you. Not when you're drunk."

I sniffled. "What if I wasn't?"

"Then that would be a different story. Until then, you need to get some rest."

I nodded and balanced myself against his shoulder. I could feel the edges of reality become more and more blurry. "It really isn't because of my mom?"

I think he kissed my head again. "It really isn't. She's not a person I think I could find myself romantically attracted to. I mean, she is my boss and all."

Boss or not, it sure felt nice to hear him say that. "That's good. Thank you, Jake. For everything."

He said something else, but it was too fuzzy to make out. It seemed like only a few second later that everything went black.

* * *

><p>I sat on the couch Saturday night waiting for Mom to get home. Jake had brought me home earlier that afternoon. We'd rehearsed and rehearsed our story about the club so I was sure I could give a good performance. When she did get home, she seemed more rigid than usual as she asked me how my night had been. I told her the story, but she didn't look very convinced.<p>

"Do you want to tell me the truth now?" she asked.

I swallowed and went through it again. She stopped me halfway through.

"There's something you should know," she said grimly. I swallowed. She took my hand and led me over to the computer where she pulled up one of Uncle Jasper's programs. I'd never really understood the technology thing, so I just waited to see what she needed to show me. She clicked a few buttons, then turned the speakers on. The voice speaking was mine, but it was so slurred it was hard to understand what I was saying. Although I remembered what had happened the night before, I hadn't picked up on the nervousness in Jake's tone when I asked him to kiss me.

"You spied on us?" I asked her incredulously.

Mom turned to me with a no-nonsense look on her face. "Yes, Renesmee. I had your uncle help me so we could keep an eye on you and make sure you were safe."

I took a step back. "So now what?" I demanded. "Are you going to make me go out again with someone more reliable?"

She shook her head and stood up. "No, honey. I'm sorry." That brought me up short. My mother rarely, if ever, apologized for anything. She took my hands. "I'm sorry because I never realized how much I push you to do things my way. Your father and I talked a bit, and he agrees. I promise to take a step back and let you live your life your way. But, you have to promise me something."

I swallowed. "What is it?"

"You have to promise me that you will at least explore this thing with Jacob. I don't know where it'll go, but I can tell you that guys like him don't come around very often."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "You sound like you have a crush."

She smirked. "Not a crush. I admire him. He's strong but sensitive, smart, ethical, reliable, and he took very good care of you aside from letting you drink far too much. But, I know that pushing you to do something that made you uncomfortable was not the best thing a mother could have done. The night could have been a lot worse if you had been with someone else. I apologize."

I hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Mom. I forgive you. Also, I want to thank you. I really do. If it weren't for you pushing, I wouldn't have been able to get close to him or even talk to him. So thanks."

She touched my cheek. "You're welcome. Now how are you going to tell him you're really interested?"

I shrugged and looked down. "I don't know."

"How about a note?"

My head jerked back up. "What?" Not something crazy and extroverted?

"Yeah. A note. Just write something that says you're interested, include your phone number, and I'll make sure he gets it on Monday."

My smile was wide. "Okay."

The note was a lot harder than I thought it should have been. I went through at least fourteen different pieces of paper before I finally settled on something I liked. Mom even approved; she said it had the right amount of confidence needed to pull it off. I smiled and reread it.

_Jake—_

_Thank you for the most wonderful night. I'm sorry for what I did. How uncomfortable you must have been! It wasn't all the alcohol talking. I need you to know that. I might have been the reason my mother chose you. I asked her to. I honestly didn't believe she'd go through with it, though. I hope you can forgive me. I also hope that you'll call me._

_Love, Ness_

I folded it up and gave it to her, trusting that she really would give it to him. As I did, I wished I had the guts to call him. Oh, well. At least this way the ball would be in his court, and he could do whatever he wanted.

He called me Monday night. I'd expected him to wait a few days like guys usually do. Instead, at six-thirty Monday evening, my phone vibrated. It wasn't a number I recognized, but I answered anyway. To say I was thrilled was an understatement. Oh, I was so happy! And Jake and I had a date—a real date!—on Thursday night. I bounced around my room excited and made sure to give both my parents extra hugs just because I could.

Thursday night took forever and a day to arrive. When it finally did, I dressed in a cute green sundress and sandals, and I left my hair down with just some clips to keep it out of my face. He took me to dinner, then we went to a lovely wooded park that even had a steam and a little bridge. We walked around a bit while he held my hand. I was in heaven.

"Thank you for a wonderful night," I told him.

He pulled me closer. My heart sang. "I didn't think it was over yet."

I smiled up at him. "It's not. But thank you anyway."

He leaned down to kiss my head. Oh, I loved it when he did that.

"So me being nine years older than you really doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"Does me being nine years younger bother you?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't."

"That's good. It doesn't me either."

"What about me being divorced?"

"I'd much rather have you divorced than still married."

He smirked. "Yeah, I agree. Does any of it bother your mother?"

I laughed. "If it did, you'd hear about it. But no; she really likes you, Jake. No matter what she might say or how she acts at work, she thinks you're reliable, ethical, and an all-around good man. She doesn't say stuff like that about everyone. You have to deserve it."

We turned around and started heading back to the car. "What should we do after this?"

"We should go back to your place." I certainly wasn't done being with him.

"Ness—"

It sounded like he was going to give me a reason why that wasn't a good idea. I was pretty sure it had something to do with the last time I was at his house and made a total fool of myself. I stepped in front of him and held up a hand. "Jake, it's okay. Really. I just want to spend some more time with you and get to know you. You're probably totally baffled as to why I picked you out. It's because you're funny, you're charming, you're handsome . . . the list goes on. I've seen you, but only at those company meetings my mother drags me to. I want to get to know the you that isn't at work."

He relaxed and took my hand. "I think that sounds perfect."

We continued to see each other at least once a week. Every time I saw him and every new thing I learned about him just made me fall even more in love with him. Being with him was so much better than watching him from a window in a meeting room. The one thing that bugged me, though, was that he wouldn't really kiss me. He would, but they were all little pecks rather than real kisses. I wondered one day if he was waiting for me to ask. So after our third date, I decided to do it.

"Do you remember our first real night together?" I asked as we sat on his couch.

He nodded. "Yeah."

I licked my lips and got on my knees beside him. "Do you remember what you said about if I wasn't drunk?" I was beginning to realize that there was a possibility that he wouldn't want to kiss me. Not a real kiss. I pushed that fear aside; it was irrational.

"Yes, I do."

I held onto his shoulders as I slid into his lap. His hands held my waist. "Well, I'm not drunk, Jake. Will you kiss me?"

Relief flooded through me when he nodded, then he pulled me close and kissed me. It wasn't a peck. It wasn't even closed-mouthed. It was a real kiss, tongue and all. Any hesitancy I'd had toward this whole thing vanished. I grabbed him tighter and pushed myself closer. I wasn't sure where this whole thing was going, but I was in it, and I would ride it to the end.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for reading!


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